hike

I haven’t finished my “Downunder” blog and I’ve started a new one. Blogging, it appears, is addictive 🙂 I was always going to want to return, you don’t visit the South Island a few times and that’s it done. I’ve been thinking about the places I want to revisit or places that we missed. So the planning commences . . . . . . . . . . .

The Kaitaki (the biggest ferry and always my choice) docked at Picton.

I expect to take the 9am ferry from Wellington to Picton, so I will have to leave home at about 6 am for the 90 minute drive to the ferry terminal and be there at least 60 minutes before departure. The crossing is three and a half hours. It takes a while to offload so I am imagining I will be off by 1.30pm at the latest.

On the wish list is: A hike to the Humphries Dam

Essons Valley is located to the south of Picton and two small dams create reservoirs that provide Picton’s water supply. The walking track the Humphries Dam pass through a lush native forest that has been largely undisturbed by human activity with a variety of tree species and many ferns including large tree ferns. Time: Two hours . At Humphries dam, a picnic area is provided beside the lake formed by the dam.

I did both of dam walks on my first solo South Island visit in 2011 and met up with a lovely lady from Wellington who had just completed the Vineyard Bike Ride the previous day. I had intended to do one dam only but we did the two together.